Spring is Flung

Waaah, the weather is so nice, it’s difficult to focus on work these days, let alone blogging. There’s always a lot going on, so many distractions, so much to do….

Cherry Blossoms! I didn’t think I was going to have a chance to see them this year, but luckily I was able to visit Yeoido Park just as they were in full-bloom.

Walking under clouds of cherry blossoms.

Now that it’s plenty warm outside, I’ve started running a little again after a very very verrrryyyy long hiatus (been feeling sluggish these days, I can’t take it any more). I’ve missed it so much, but not as much as I miss boxing at my mma gym. I’m still praying for the day when I’ll have more free time to get back to it.

Bunny is loving the warmer weather too~~ here she is checking out my new shoes! Hot pink, yeaaz.

Sunday Brunch with the sister at Le Alaska, Garosugil.

It’s been forever since I last came here, it was nice to revisit this spot. I think I got the exact same thing as before too. Just their simplest salad with the usual chicken omitted, and some ciabatta bread on the side. My sister got a sandwich and cappuccino. But more than anything, I just love the interior of Le Alaska and the vibes. If you get there before the lunch rush, it’s just a perfect chill spot to start the day.

And check out their grapefruit juice, with a mountain of shaved ice on top. It’s like an upside down snow cone. Really nice and refreshing.

And now for some recent PLANT food: vegan “turkey” grilled cheese sandwiches with seitan deli slices, cranberry sauce, and cheese. All handmade from scratch. This was a simplified version of the Thanksgiving sandwiches I made last year, minus the mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy dip. If I ever write a vegan recipe book, this one will definitely be in there. :)

Kale salad with chickpeas, carrots, smoky tempeh bits, and agave-mustard dressing. A lot of people have been asking where I get my lacinato kale from. I order it from a Home Base supermarket across the street from PLANT in Itaewon. They don’t carry it in their veggie section, but I can order a big box from them and they will have it ready for me to pick up the next morning. And if you want this lacinato kale, you have to call it “New Green” because if you say “kale,” you’ll get the flat leaf, dinosaur style kale, which probably isn’t what you’re looking for. So just say you want to order a box of ‘new green’ and they’ll understand. capiche? :)

And even if you don’t have a Home Base around your area, try asking another local supermarket if they can get some for you. Just think of all the amazing kale salads and green smoothies you can nourish your body with!

One thing I love about PLANT is that it’s like this little community gathering spot. It’s not unusual for random people to start talking and become friends. If you’re new in Korea and don’t know many people, come to PLANT. More often than not, you will make friends with someone. The shop is so small and the seating is so limited that many times, you kind of have to sit with people you don’t know. I understand it’s uncomfortable for some people, and especially native Koreans are a bit wary of sharing tables with strangers, but foreigners and expats are always more than willing to squeeze together and start talking to each other. Just an observation as someone who works there every day. :) Anyway, I’m grateful for all of Plant’s customers, you guys make it worthwhile. Overhearing a vegan customer say that Plant is their sanctuary and home away from home, makes my heart melt. That kind of compliment is priceless. I know we are inadequate and undeserving in so many ways, and there’s so much room for improvement, but thank you to everyone for accepting us, despite our limitations and short-comings.

On the rare occasion, we’ll have fresh flowers in the shop and it just brightens up the whole place.

Furry friends have the same effect. :)

Dark Chocolate Chery cake. The most chocolatey cake ever, with chunks of half-dried cherries and a splash of amaretto. This was one of those random cakes which came together because I just happened to have all those ingredients on hand at that moment. Death by chocolate? Bring it.

Last month I had two wedding cake orders. Each one was a little different, but here’s one of them. Wedding cakes are pretty labor intensive, even small two-tier ones, so I now understand why bakeries charge a lot. It’s also a lot of pressure cuz you gotta make the bride happy, as well as impress the guests. Anyway, I’m glad all the cakes were made without too much trouble. For this cake, the bride wanted the swirly flower design around the edge, but the other cake I made was much simpler with just spackled frosting. Sadly, I don’t have a photo of the final product with flowers, etc.

Lastly, after a long work week, my favorite place to get a drink and wind down is the Southside Parlour by Noksapyeong. The guys over there are so great and are also super supportive of PLANT. There’s this really precious camaraderie between the expat/gyopo restaurant owners in Itaewon that is really encouraging and cool to see. We all want each other to succeed and I just love that. So yea. I love Southside for their amazing cocktails, chill vibes, and the guys behind the bar. They’re doing awesome things and once they add a few vegan options on their menu, they’re gonna be unstoppable.

Aiights, that’s all I got for this blog post. Thanks for reading!! xoxo

10 Comments

I have been reading your blog for a while, and I really enjoy it! And I also love your instagram, you post some really nice pictures. I am in Korea now and will try to visit your café next weekend. I was SO happy when EYK posted a video about how to get to you! Stay happy and remember to relax, I’m really excited about finally seeing your place :)

Reading your blog always make me want to escape there but the weird one when I dreamt about being your student. But I hope someday it’ll be true and I’ll find new friends there.
Stay healthy Mipa-nim and have a great weekend!

Mipa, I second that statement above on if you make a cookbook! Even if you’d start to offer cooking classes, I’d sign up right away! I am glad that you are still being able to carve out little amounts of time to enjoy yourself, it’s really important to maintain your sanity and feel good about everything in your life. On another note, I am still over the moon that you opened your own place up! I met the sweetest girl, Jackie, there one time that I enjoyed a quaint, quiet lunch at PLANT because the tables were pretty much filled with others enjoying your delicious treats. Until next time!

It is my view that the vegetarian manner of living, by its purely physical effect on the human temperament, would most beneficially influence the lot of mankind.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955)

As long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seeds of murder and pain cannot reap the joy of love.
—Pythagoras

Humanity’s true moral test, its fundamental test…consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy: animals. And in this respect humankind has suffered a fundamental debacle, a debacle so fundamental that all others stem from it.
—Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, 1984

i Heart i Herb

This is where I get chia seeds, almond butter, nooch, and everything else that I can't find in Korea.